Special has a different meaning for all of us.
Special things engrain themselves in our soul, shape our futures and flood our memories.
Special things are personal and shared with those close to you.
Special things are worth pursuing
Kazuyo and I have been making special connections with Japan and Australia for over 20 years now. We operated with major Japanese travel agents as destination managers for inbound study tours and our groups included some of Japan's highest quality schools.
In the process we were able to successfully and completely independently, market the city of Townsville and North Queensland to Japan. As a result of our efforts, for the first time, Townsville became a new and viable inbound destination for Japanese student groups and educational based travel. We found a niche gap in the market, formed relationships with the right people and supported it with great business practice. We treated all of our customers with the same hospitality that we offered family and friends and our tours were all focused and having fun and learning. We helped young , first time travellers experience a new culture and different language safely and comfortably.
Being able to facilitate and bring about the most most basic, yet life changing connections between Japanese students and their Australian families was something very special, but seeing their tears of joy and understanding of the world expand when they left and as they have grown up is a treasure beyond appreciation to us both.
These were special tours for a great many people.
As we did this business in Australia, Kazuyo and I almost exclusively spent our holiday time travelling domestically in Japan, discovering it's corners, it's secrets and it's beauty. As we meticulously planned new travels, chose new destinations and discovered amazing food, we realised they were quiet special in their methodology and we gained a genuine understanding of domestic tourism in Japan and how to work smoothly with it.
We have hiked ancient paths and generally taken an off track route, getting lost in a crowd is not special at all, now days , avoiding tourist hoardes is becoming an art form we are getting very good at. We have discovered Japan's natural gems and been immersed in regional and local culture around the country, making connections as we go.
We have travelled famous scenic local rail lines and spanned the country by Shinkansen, but driving ourselves through remote regions opened up an entirely new and amazing experience for us. We have visited gardens and castles beyond count and have chased legendary local food treats and humour spots all over Japan. Want to visit the only natural spring in Japan with carbonated water?.... it's way off track but I know the way.
Our travel was always based on treating ourselves to a great experience, and Ryokan accommodation became our favourite part of that. The room's, the meals, the hot springs, the routes we took, the people we met.
There is something special about travelling this way and Japan has got it right.
One thing that is often overlooked by mass tourism and as a result by international tourists is that Japanese people have perfected the art of domestic short term holiday getaways to ryokan's, hot springs and nature based attractions. This is special travel segment for a domestic market driven by a fervant national desire for peaceful and fun holiday time.
There is a high level of infrastructure for the most part in most regions, yet this is only now beginning to show signs of becoming accessible to foreign tourists that are first time visitors. It is still often difficult to reach and manage by yourself without some experience in Japan. The only option that often remains for a large portion of the Japanese inbound tourism market is to book a standard cattle coach tour to a major attraction, be shuffled through chain hotels and hold on for the ride, trying to inhale some of the real Japan as you go.
We want to make tours that offer easy, safe, comfortable and fun access to a Japanese style holiday, one that avoids crowds and offer so much more to see and do than just queue at national hotspots. We want to take people to places they could never reach and locations they will never forget in a style they never imagined. We want to offer you the same experienced hospitality we offered our Japanese students.
This is what makes our Tours special for you.